KOTA KINABALU: Failure to submit the Goods and Service Tax (GST) statements by companies or business owners was among the 2,621 cases recorded by the Royal Malaysian Customs in its three-month operation.
Customs Deputy Director-General (Customs and GST) Datuk Subromaniam A/L Tholasy said the offences were recorded throughout the whole country between April and June of this year.
“For Sabah, we have recorded about 165 cases,” he said at a press conference at the GST dialogue with restaurants and retailers associations at the Royal Malaysian Customs office (Sabah) here yesterday.
Also present was Sabah Customs Director Datuk Dr Janathan Kandok.
According to Subromaniam, most of the offences identified were failure by business owners or companies in submitting their GST statements to the Customs GST Department.
“We see this as a serious offence and anyone caught will face the penalty, under the GST Act 2014 which carries a minimum fine of RM30,000 or three years in jail, or both, or up to RM50,000 fine or five years in jail or both,” he said.
Meanwhile, Subromaniam said the department had set up a Fraud Investigating Unit to identify fraud offences by industries in the country.
“We have identified several industries in the country involved in such fraud where the said industry will make false claims for their GST.
“But when our GST officers or auditors cross-check their statements, there are no such suppliers as mentioned in the GST forms.
“This is a very serious offence and if found guilty the case can be brought to court,” he said, without elaborating how many industries have been found guilty of such crime.